Contamination in Cell Culture

This list of the most common types of contaminations provides further insight into the organisms that are most likely to invade your cell culture laboratory. We generally recommend checking cultures daily, using an inverted light microscope, ideally with phase contrast, prior to changing the medium, splitting the cells, or using them in an experiment. Many but not all contaminants can be identified easily if you know what to look for.

Click below for more information on the characteristics of different contaminants and how to detect them in your cultures. The first step in fighting your enemies is getting to know them.